

V. V. 


1 



y, V 

\ ' . 

T13K JKU N 


MINES 


T N • V 0 3 
.J\\,5 H 




JMLexioxK^ixjLee, AAlolai., 
Janvarjr IS, ISYl. 



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< 


The 3Ieno}}ihiee Iron Mines, 

-;u:- 

Monominoe Ooun»v U sitiiale*! in the south w.'st corner of thfe 
Il^npor I'enii'sula of Midii^aii. and bo’indnd on the west bv ths 
Menominee Kiver wliioh i^ tliu dividing line between the vStates 
of Mic'niirnn and Wisconsin, and‘uj the soutli cast l)y Green 
]> ly, wiiieh altlnniLdi only a i5jy of I/ike i\Iichnj:-i is over one 
liiindnnl mihis lor.^ir an .l vvonhl of itself 1)0 considered a very re- 
sneetablo sized Lake in any other part of the world The county 
is but sparsely settled, the settlements beintr mostly confine<l to 
the i>ay shore The ir.teri-^'r of the county is a forest wilderness, 
beiiiL^ coveted witJt pine, btn ch. n aple, and other forest trees, 
liiid interspersed wittt T-cnertc an<l Cedar Swamps. 

It lias not been known until within three or four years, ibai 

the county is rich in mineral.s About five years atzo the Me- 

* ► * 

no ninee Marble Quarries were discovereil; These attracted at- 
tentioit and iiidnood parties, to further explore iho country iu 
icarch of other ntineraks, and ii tiurs beeanie discovered tliat tho 
real Iron distciet of the Upper Ueiiinsiila. was in Menomitu-e 
County, and that mines of untobl wealth, lie buried iu the in¬ 
terior of th 5 eounrv. ami atuid its t:im.rlei forests. 

TiiK IIiiEE.v Mine —Is the one now showing the greatest out 
crop, and so far as surfaco ajtpearanees can be taken as :% cri¬ 
terion to jadire from, is the richest mine iutho State of Michigan, 
if n >t in the United States. 

The Breen Mine is situated twenty six miles from the shore 
of Cree^ H iy, st the mouth of Deer Creek, iu a direct Hue, and 
fifty four miles from the vilhiirc of Menominee, Jit the mouHi of 
the .Uenorniuee Iliver; The country between the Bay Shore afe 
Deer Creek, and the mines is entiriy unsettled, altho if oponed 
by a Hail Iliad it is capable of settlement, some of it beine; very 
fertile hrrd wood laud* It is rolling with no very etoep gradeti, 
and well adapted to a roaU) for a Rail Road- 




MKXOMT?^E IKON HINES. 


% 

The Breen Mine presents on one «i(ie of a ridjro. a solid 
wail of iron ore noarlj perpendicular from tliirry to fi’ty feet 
hiudK and over a ou-irrerof a milf* in lenirtli. The rid^e is about 
a qti^T^t r of a mile uide at its base, and from fifty to one hun¬ 
dred feet hiirh in tlio centre or crown of the Ilidire. The wall 
of iron is in tho South East side and is covered with moss and 
leaves only. The top of the Kidire is covered with earth and 
trees to a depth of from one to two feot. The trees in many 
places were blown down, and where sucli ‘had been the case tho 
roots turninir up the earth, has laid bare a solid fl »nr of iron 
ore, thus demonstrating the fact that the whole llidge is Solid 
Iron Ore. 

It. is liighly probable from th« course rtf .the mine and Illdgo 
that the mine extends much farther along the Ridgo^ than is 
shown by the outcrop, but this can only be deter.niued by ua- 
covennir the earth which has never yet been done. 

But if any person can figure out an estimate of the number 
of tons of ore that there would be in a space one quarter of a 
mile long and o»'C quarter of a mile wide and an average bight 
of fifty feet and affix a value of one d(»liar per ton in the mine 
they oan demortstrato fully the vciue of such n wine. 

But’tliere is no reason to suppose that all the iron lies above 
the bottom of<the vallev which runs along side of the Uidge. 

There is every re’ison to suppose that the depth of the mine 
is much greater than the height, as iu most mines thvt have 
been ^knowrn ftr a long pouod ot time tlie depth lias alw.<ys 
beenifound to be many times the bight, and it isp.ebable that 
after'thic mine is opened that the great, great grand children of 
the .great/great grand children of this generation will not see 
this mine worked out. 

The ir>u from this mine is pronounced to be a soft hematite, 
well ad tpted'tO'Cmelting. It has been aaalysed or rather -speci¬ 
mens taken from the wall of iron have been and the aii ilysis of 
these surface specimens show sixty per cent of iron. This .fur 
surface specimens is considered very rich ore as the leanest oro 
in all mines is usually found on the surface 

We givo below reports of analysis by two different gentlemen 
far apart and neither knowing that the other was testing the ore. 
Ooo from John E Siebel Esq , Chemist at Chicago Illinois, and 
the other from Julius Ropes Esq, of Ishpeming Marquette 
County Mictigan. From these reports it will be seen that no 
mistake could be made as to tb« quality of tho era. The sped- 


HI?NOMINEE IROK MINI'S. 4 

wens gout to e^ch, were broken out of the solid wall or ledgo of 
irou ore. on the South E ist side of the Kiddie. 

John E. Siebel’s Chemical Labobatory, 

Office, 42 La Salle Street, 

Chicago, Nor. 27, 1870. 

Mr. S. P. Saxton,—The analysis of an average of the speci¬ 
mens of Irou Ck'e, which I received from you, gave the follovt- 
iug results; 


W ater, 

(Slag), 

Silic.4 free-, 

Phosphorus (Tracei)’, 
Suljjhur, 

Peroxide of Iron, 
Lime, 


0 031 per cent. 
26.492 
13.421 
Traces. 

None, 

60.014 

0.048 


Total, 100 006- 

According f?o tliis anelysif, the ore contains a trifle orer 42 
per eeut. ot Irou, (42.01 per ceut.) lu the uietallie and pura 
i^tate. Respectfully yours, 

John E. Siebel. 

“Ishpeming, Mich, Dec 14th, 1S70 

“Mr. g. P. Saxton, 

-Dear Sir,—I herewith enclose yoa» the result of the an- 
ulysis of the last one of three speciuieus of Iron ore sent me for 
analysis by J. 13. Mi nick, and requesting, me to raport results to 
you, which are as f')lluw3 ; 

Metallic Iron, 58.11 percent. 

Silica and Insoluble, 15 43 “ 

AMumina, 1,75 “ 

Tlie ore is a variety of hematite-and will work easily in a fur¬ 
nace without a doubt, and is riclvenough fer this quality of ore, 
to be valuable I regret that I have been so situated that I 
could not attend to it before. Very truly, 

Julius Ropes*’' • 

This one mine if there were no other, would warrant the 
building of a Rail Riad, but fortunately for Menominee County 
and tor tho wor.d when a RailRoad shall be built, there are sey- 
crul other mines but a few miles farther along from-tho shore of 
Green Bay, which it they do not show as large an out crop as 
ih« Breen mine, show enough to prove that they are very 



MEN'OMJNEK IKON MINCa, 




'«b!o niinr-a nntl when operiod will <rive ctnplnymcnl to fliouFnnJa 
of men and plenty of tjii'iincs fur niinieruus liucon'otiv-*s and 
Car< to transpurf the iron tu tlni Shore of Green lhay, and from 
(hiMice to all parts of the eonntry. 

Hy the side of the Ib'een mine runs a small stream of water 
calhul Ilannltoti’s Creek. !t is very rap d atid its hmks are 
hiLrh. It furnishes plenty of water P<;wer .fur a hhist I'nrtiaco 
ftfid n water power may ho ^ot by the side ol the mine with fif¬ 
teen feet, of head, an 1 there is abundance of ^ood hard wood, 
near hy for charcoal 

I’KtR (’hkkk—W as formerly called Little Cedar. It is 
situated ill the Nurih Cast corner of Menominee C nnry, di¬ 
rectly opi csito from the Ih.or,—the main ship ciiannel from 
Green Lay into l>akc .Michioati. 'I’liere is jjoud water close up 
to the shore. 1-ix hnndrid feet from the shoie oivinir sevu*.- 
tcen feet of water, and ornilually deepening: fruir t tat to forty 
five feet. It he.':^ in an iiMlcniure or curve of Green I5ay, A hi«,h 
protects shippini: from evety wind out ;-m eas‘ wind and I'urnish- 
es safe yuards nitainst the action of iee on the diteks. 


There IS a dock now there which is a spile dock, and has 
5 *ood against the ice for two winters before the present oue, 
without h.'.rm. 

Leer Creek is appro.achnhle hy all winds hut a due west wind, 
and vessels cleurniid can lay their course across Gr<en Hay to 
the Loor and Lak(‘ Michiuan hy all winds hut a dm* east wiud, 
and duo east and W'Cst wi ds an; very rare on (in en ]>ay. 

The ice is clear out of the Ihiy, usually two weeks earlier 
and later than it is eitl*er at Kscmahi on liitile ]ht\-.'n-i oc, or 
at Memmdneo. Tl.is is caused by the action of the waves coming 
in from Lake Michigan. 

Deer Creek is capable of being made a good harbar by dredg¬ 
ing, but at present it is usually fiarreU up at the mouth so that 
nothing larger than saii-boats can enter ovi*r the liar. 'J'he an¬ 
chorage in the bielit of the Lay where Deer Creek enters it ia 
good. The bottmn being c!:iy. 

The Iron mines are nearest to the Bay Shore at this point of 
any point on the shore, and in addition to this advantage, is 
that of having deep water right no to the sinue. at a p4)int well 
protected from winds an 1 ice. and direct'y accissable to Lake 
Michigan, and that too much ern lier in tb • spring aud later in 
the fall than any other place along Green Jiay. 

Teb Majrblb QUAERiJC&ir—Lie ubout throe Hailcs from tho 


MEIBOM I NEK inON MINES, 


& 


Brcca ^hne nr»fl directly oa the proper route for a Kail Road t<> 
the rifjxt tuiues. 

They li:ivv^ never been opened or worked owinir to ths 
great difTiciiUy and expen.se ot gjttir»!i men arid su[>pli('.s rhroniili 

tl'.e w<)o<ls. wh(*re tlicia; are no roail.s to thein. Tt'O out croo 

* 

looks well and is extensive and rliere can he no dmbt that as 
Boon as a Uiil U oid ks built to tlieo) tbev will be Ibund to bo 
very vsiuiide. d'liev weie disc,>vere ! Iiefore Iron Mines was 
known i > exist and in co is‘rpi ;nej of this iaet rbe host eif'rt to 
open the conniry w.is directed to ojaoii.j'j: an outlet to *hese (|uar- 
rics lo a shippiiitr p'int on Green l>iy, hut mo? it is I'ouiid that 
Viiluahh; as t.iyv are suppised to be, that we have got a inH ill 
greater wealth ia the Iron .Mines wh’cii seeks an outlet by tlio 
Eaiin; rnuto. 


Magnetic Oiie —On thclmds owned by tbo Menomiaoo 
niarbie eoinpany ii is been fniied a valiiabb? iniin* t>f nrignetio 
ore. It lies in a .steep lull side on tlie Ij»nk of Sturgeon River 
nnd not far fr<>ni Little Sturgeon Kalis. The liili side firaleiut 
fifty feet high, appears to be solid ore. A bole lias bven opened 
in It about t(n brti’nd in it the ore appear.s to lie rich. It is 
uinbnib'o diy a very neb mine Imt owing to the same cattles 
which has ji;evented the .Marhlc Quarries from being openeil, 
nothing fniiher has been done to develop tnis mine TliO 
trturgeoM lliver nc,:r tins mim? fninislies ahniidnice of water 
power snfTieieut to rnn eillier smelting furnaces or rolling mills, 
and liard wo..ai tindic-r ahoinnls suivahle for eliareoal for snadiing. 
About tire miles from this Magnetic Ore Mine enmnomes 
another .'.eric oi'mine.'-: e.ivering an area ot one half of a towiisliip 
of land' I leavy out crops of ore app'^ars in several pl.ices in- 
uicafing a large extent of tnineing gr-mm). The Ore is hematite, 
aud a tpvjirs to bs -s rich in (jualiiy as that (d' the Breen mine, 
but I have no knowled..:e tliat any of it has been aiiahzcd, but 
Bupnose it in-'V iiave Icen, no very large expons!.* ha.s been incurred 
iu opening it, but cn iigb has been done to slmw that if there 
w#re no oilier iron mi cs in the Upper reuiusula these would 
5 tauip the country as biing a great iron district, These lacst 
mines liav^ been peisoui.ilv examined by l^rofcssors Pompilly 
and Gre<luor and pronoiUiCed by them very rich but 1 have nev¬ 
er seen any report of an analysis of the ores. 

Ten miles iarilier along isanotlur great iron mine, showing a 
very largo outcrop, but little is known about it. Tlie country is 
bO rugged und tangled, that but few visit it, and it is easier taw 


<1 


MENOMINKE IRON MINEl. 


to po to the Kocliy inount-^in^ and prospect than it is to pet pro¬ 
visions up into that couutry and to po there, and innke BU«h a 
itay as would eiiahlo any person to learn inueh nl the coutitry 
around it, yet wifh a Kail Itoad frotii Deer Creek to these first 
luiiies the diSieultios ot pefi.ip there would seem so small that 
probably in one yea^' al*ter its complerioo, tko coui;try wuu-ld be 
as well known as tlie shore of Green Kay is now. 

'J’o the li'tt towards the Meiimninee Ivivt r about six miles from 
the Hre\‘n Mine is another valuable outcrop of iron and \vi h it 
a mine of udneral paint or rather a vein of r«d oxide of iron 
whicii when prcpar 2 d by griudiug makes a valuable pniut aud 
works w<‘ll with oil. 

These diswovriies of iron have all been made within the last 
five years and yet the couutry there, is hut very little known. 
Hueh is the nature of the country .covered by dense .and tangled 
forests and bwamp"’, that a person can hardly learn what there is 
in oils t-iwnship, in a whole feummers exploration, and there is 
no doubt but that wheu the couutry is opened by a flail lload 
BO as to become at^eessable, that many otluT mines will be found 
v.'Uhiu the same urea ol'couutry, that I have been describing, 
but which are now ilituly ci'Vcicd willi earth ;ind forest so as to 
be liid from the casual explorer, who uccasioually forces his way 
through the woi ds. 

A Kail Hoad. —Shall we have a Rail Road from the shora 
of Green R.»y to theee mines. Can there be any d-oubt. but that 
ihe public have a large inteiest iu tbc opening tf these mines f 
And wlien we speak of the public we mean the whole ooiiulry, 
us well us the residents ot Menoiuinoe County, we mean the iron 
workeis of Peiisylvaoia aud Ohio, with tne farmers who feed 
them, aud ihe Merchants who trade with them, we mean the Me¬ 
chanics of Massaehus tls and Merchauis of New York City who 
want another large sdcli w opened to consume their merchandise, 
we mean the people of'Jhieago and all lllimds, Milwaukee aiiu all 
Wiscouuiii, of Detroit and all Miehigau, who want an ther mar¬ 
ket fur tiieir products, we mean the people of the whole United 
States will) wiil reap a benefit from the manufacturing of iron 
Qiid the saving of the wsi amount of gold, which now fljwf 
out to Europe fur an article which wi have lu our ov/u couutry 
‘of such abundance that we could furnish the world with it. aud 
in » better quality than that for which wc now drain the coun¬ 
try of gold to buy. 

Every part of-the couutry is interested in developing th^ ro- 


MENO^nifEE IimN KHvES. 


T 


goiircoe of Hie cftiintry. nnd cspncially of our mines, ar.d nny 
pr:int which may I)e made to aid in the construction of a Rail- 
rosd to open up ralnaMe mines, will return to the State nnd 
country yn hundred r*»’d the value of such prant. 

For the purpose of hnihlinp n Railroad to these mines, a Rail¬ 
road flomp iny lias been formed, called ‘'The Deer Crock and 
7iaihle Qu-irry Railroad C mipariV,” which association is com¬ 
pos d mainly of citizens of iMenonfinee county, 'I'his company 
is determined to huild a road from the shore of Green 15a> to 
these n*in"s. Many of the stockholde.is in this (•ornpanv are in¬ 
terested as owners in these mim^, Thrt moni'y is required to 
1t)uild Ilailronds, and as in most (rther eases the stockholders are 
not wealthy enou'jh to build the road without, the aii of other 
capital than wiiat thev possess Capitalists are not fi»rward to 
advance money for such purp>sr*fi unless thev have a securcty for 
their money. Land is n«ually coMsidered the best basis of se¬ 
curity for such loans. Takiuir ibis view of the subject snd fur¬ 
ther that tlie United Fltates and -^tate of Michijran will derive 
RS much «r more benefit from the constru-'don of a Railroad by 
openinsr up settlement wdiat is now a wilderness, and biinirinp 
into market a larpe tract of counlry which is now worthless. 
The company isk of Coriirress, and the State rd’ ^ ichipan, ft 
iiioderate arrant of lands to aid tlieui in the construction of this 
road, and that only on condition i]ic**t the}' hiiihl the road. The 
Leoislnture of Miehipan has twice roeoonlzed the neceSvSrty t'f 
this mad, once by Session laAV ori8G9 prantiriu: tlie ripht of 
way over State lands f<>r th.at [lurpose. and by Joint Resolution 
of the same Sersion, asKinir out liiembcrs of Congress to ui»o 
their host endeavors to obtain i prant of land fur that purpose. 
Thi.s i« u euOleient recognition to show that thi^ mi n matter of 
public interest, and not purely a private speculation. 

Rut somo-cries out npairvst l:»nd prad>fi, and without invostipatioa 
pr.)m/Unce every effort to op-sn and develojie the countivy an at- 
tenijit at a Imd prab. We have no doubt buf that the.'C are 
many such projects that niorit the si'Vt re.st coudemnati'm, but 
tlie other favt is also apparent that mueli of the v/est woiuld still 
be au unsettled wilderness had not Congress w^rsoly aided ui the 
construction of Railroads by liberal pranfs of land, and not only 
lias the country where the ro d.s have been' built been preatly 
benefited, but the Government has realked twice as much by. 
the sale ol’unsaleable lands, thus made-saleable, than they would 
-ItJivo done la ihe v.cxi £^ty yetir« for the .whole, if r.o graotf -hid 


Kzr.omiiiuZ inoT, 


bcon msdfl. 

T;t!«:<? Illinois /or instance, wlicn wo settlt'd in i. thirfr 
ycur?* airn. if wo roinemito. riiilitly. iho wholo State h:\d a ])'pn- 
l.itiotj o* less tliMti l^i)0 000, and Cliici^o wa? y d>‘si*rto(l 1 lokini:: 
liain’ot. f»f a f’nw scux* of housns, ajid it’s tt 'W p’diicip il Ptrcet-s 
were fVoL^ p^nds. Groat tracts i)f lertile p”'iiios liad nn settler; 
w-e liuvo traYolIcd fVnni iiinrnine: till niiihc frnni one hons'' to the 
next, and oven carnpe.l on tin; prairies heciuse we Cwuld “tot 
roach a house. 1 heso lertile lands wt^ro s> ne wly worthless 
that Conyross fried to ^ivc tiiein nwriy hut c nild not. So anx¬ 
ious Was Goi)‘;r**ss to oive away tinj lands that ir p issed a irrndu- 
ation act, V ducinir the price of lands that, had heen i.n market 
a certain nnmher <>• ^'cars lo one dollar pi*r acre, and certain 
other years to s venr-N-five cents, then ril’fy, then twonrv-5ce and 
then VO a slniline; an acre And the liovernmeni couid not i^ivc 
away rhe-so Ibitde lands for tiiat price. There \v is iiohody to 
take them, ’j’he settleis truni in the stale, did not w.ut tho 
lands and would nnr pay taxes on tho.n lor them, \Vitat was 
the reason? It, was because ihoriJ was U) fra/t>'-po7'fati’on for 
produrtA. C om w ;S worth cents a hushel. i’ork aiive in 

the line, was w<o-ih one atnl one-half to two cents per lb , and 
CTeryrhin'j in prop.iriion. if a iu*.n staited for CliicaLTo to sell 
a load of the pneluios ot his f.mi he had to borrow inorny ( f 
his nci_Lrlihor.—if he had a n«i;.dihor who had a.nv money.—to 
pay his way hack irom town, for Ids load of priHluee would not 
pay liis expenses, I'nr a new idea came np. A few emterprix- 
inp; men [tvtitioned Coitirress for a Luant of lands t > aid in eon- 
^truetinu a Ihii io:d and o,,t a liberal o-r-nt, and with tli.at as 
a tMsis of securely, loRiied capital and built K, lire ids. Now 
observe the "(!nsc<jueuee of this land i/rah. Illinois to-day has 
considerably over two million of inhabitants. 2.500 000 wc 
believe they claim. The froo p mds in Chieayo have been filled 
up, and that en'crprizine: village h is now ahmu 200.000 inhabi¬ 
tants, (we don’t know that the census uives them that, but tlior 
(htiin it and they enyht to know vou know). 'J’liose trackless 
pra iries which wc used t) camp on, and which Unede S.i-n cmiil.I 
hot then Sell for a shildnp: an acre, iiie ixnv covered with farm? 
and cities and vitlairvs, and remote from the viils^res the lands 
are vvorth from SIO to ^100 p''!- a'-.re. Who made tlie mo.ut by 
that laud jirab ? was it tlie Jltilroud (Vmipanies, the United 
Btates, the ttafe tf Illinois, or Cliica^o ? \Ve I. iave the ustuto 
politicians nnd other wisoncres who ftiakc such loud outtrifti 


ItBUOMHIKK IXOK 


9 


aboat land grabs to figure it out, and ask them to figurti tfp tho 
wealth of Illinois in men, animals, lands, money; and other ralu- 
ables and set them down in one column, and then figure up the 
amount the Government would have received for unsettled prai¬ 
ries, which would hare remained unsettled to this day, if these 
Kailroads had not been built, and yjlace it ia another column, 
and strike a balance, and they will then find who made the most 
by the land grab. But this will not fully demoustrato the ralua 
to the country dorivsd l’i\»m these uranls, I'or Iowa, Minnesota, 
Wisconsin, Michie:an and all the Territories west of us, would 
hare remained a wllderiiess, bad not Illinois thus been enabled 
to settle u|) rapidly, as it was enabled to do by the building of 
tlie Bail Boads in tliat State. We do not wish to be understood an 
advocating every scheme for grants to Bail Hoads. There aro 
undoubtedly some that ought to be refused, and we are opposed 
to taking and keeping vast tracts of country- lor Bail Beads cut 
of market when tliellail Koads are not built. 

But when Bail Road- will open up the resource cf the ctuntiy, 
and bring forth to human use, weuith that otherwise would re- 
riiHin dormant, we believe that no more judicious application of 
the public lands could be made than to grant a portion of them, 
under proper restrictions, in aid of such enterprizes. 

Muci‘ stress 13 also laid on the argument that the public landt^ 
should b« held for actual settlers. This too ia an argument 
based on a fallacy. TB'ery person \Yho has lived in .a new 
country, kuows tiiat a man will sooner pay five or ten dollar'^ 
more lur lands, in a neighboi hood through whicli a Bailroad 
runs, tlnin take the gift of equally good lan.ls, in a new' section qT 
the country, remote from Bailroads, and where none arc expect¬ 
ed to be built, and tliis view of the subject is based on sound 
economy, for if a man for twenty years should be compelled to 
transport the products of his farm fitly miles by team, he would 
expend much more in additional cost of transportation than vrouhj 
bay an improved farm in the neighborhood of a Bailroad, be^idesi 
losing tho j-ale of rn.any products of his farm that would ncf. 
pay the cost of transportation by thu slow style of teaming. 

And if this theory is true ol a prairie country where people 
van travel almost anywhere with a wagon, how much more truo 
is it of this seetien of the country ^yherc men can at lest mak^ 
but slow progress through the woods on foot, and where beforo 
the settler can get to goverment land to settle, ho would havi^ 

pny out moro to build a rcutid that* it weuld coat him tv buy 


10 




an iiuprovcil furni. 

in fact a po«r man can not afford to take the/>ift of puhlio 
jitivis in manr places in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and 
be compelled to moie on it, and lire on it. When he has cleared 
his land U vrili have cost him twenty live dollars an acre, lot 
aiono tho cost of Huaking roads through the woods and Bwanips 
to it. Put when a Iluil Road is built instead of costing him 
twentr five dollars an acre he can clear his land and make a 
profit in doing #o. A market is openad to him at once for ail 
his* cord wood, cedar poits, railroad ties, and other timber grow, 
iiig on Ilia land with quick and cheap transportation, and bo 
can save the expense of cutting and burning all this growth 
whicli he must otherwise do and he will at the same tima act- 
u:ily make a profit of from ten to twenty dollars an acre in clearing 
his land, besides .saving the twenty five dollars per aero whicli 
i; would cost him to clear the laud, if bo clieap means of trans¬ 
portation was afforded him. 

The country from Deer Creek for five or six miles, is corereiJl, 
with cedar and tamarac swamps and pine and hemlock ridgas, 
and this is characteristic of tho whole west shore of Green Bay. 
rrorn that point to the Ikeen Iron mine will bo found beech 
und maple, and pine and hemlock, with occasional cedar and 
lamnrac .swamps. The Beech and maple land.s are good farming 
lands, and some of tho cedar iwamps where high enough to to 
drained are also fertile lands. All other bands are worth less for 
Agricultaral purposes, and for all other purposes in the present 
itate of the country. To reach these hard wood lands roads of 
Mome discription must be built, but common roads, though they 
furnish a vfay to get to the good lands, do not aid in converting 
tho growth of wood into available capital. On the contrary to 
make the land available for purposes of agriculture the wood 
must bo cut off, and burned, to clear the laud, at the great cx- 
ncuse before mentioned. 

A 

Unlc.ss a Bail Koad sliall be built through the country ihix 
agi .'Cultural portion of the county will not have a settler on it 
in fifty years, and the United States and the State of Michigan, 
will continue to be large land holders in fee of this great tract 
of cedar swamps, and tamarac swamps, and becoh and maple 
lands, and hemlock ridges, and not even a graduation act will 
cnablo the^ General and State Governnienf. to induce the pcopU 
to take the lands off from their liands and pay taxes on them. 

Bui lot the QoTerumeat and Stats give to a Rail Road Com- 


uR’ioiriNTJE rndM 


11 


I Any trlio win build aroad, one half of the land along its route, 

«tnd po«ple will jii.np at thft chance to buy tha ot’<er half at double the minnl- 
n\nin price of piipllc lauds, and thus the Government and State will receUe a« 
jouch for one hall as tiiey wotild for the whole land, and fiud speedy sales, and 
have the use of th*ir money, and what 1 b better the piirchasera would make mon¬ 
ey by huying the lands at double price of Government landa. 

What would h# the reault ot buildiug a Kail Road from Deer Greek to the ife- 
iiominee Iron Wfhus ! 

The country w'hich is now a wilderness, the haunt of the wolf and th« bear, 
Ih* lynx the catamount and deer, would be opened to the advance of civilization. 
Smeltins: furnaces would spring up along its route. Bnsy choppers would he 
felling the now worthless trees for charcoal to furnish their flre< and thus clear 
the land for busy fanners to ral.si grain and other products of the farmers vill¬ 
ages would .si)rihg up at tlicse furnaces, and at the water powers and at the mine, 
Md th« busy hum of machinery' would be heard all throngh the country from 
the Bay llhore to the mines, 'thousands of men would find employment at tha 
mine.B bla.sting out iron ore. to furnish other thoujands with employment, num¬ 
berless ships, would find employment, in shipping tlie ore to ttic smelting fur- 
ntcee of Pensylvania and Ohio, and the li.ai! Roads of the whole country, wonl;l 
find an additiiional jirolit in transporting that iron to the work shops of the 
whole country while the artizaas then, would find tlieir profit ia working if, and 
the people of the whole west would liave an additional market added lor their 
prodnee and east and west north and south, ior their products and rfierchandize. 
The (iovernment and the btate would derive a large benefit from the additioual 
ability of the peoi)le to pay tares and revenne, and the world would kerive a ben 
eflt by briiigiiig into us» a country now worthless, aiul a wealth oi mineral 
which for au practical purposes without a Railroad might as well be in the bot¬ 
tom of the Atlantic Ocean 

And all this would be brought fthout by the exsrtion of a few determined m^u 
iiid«d by a graat of land, which are now' worthies*. 

And if theie men by their hands can thus combine foreei now inert, and brinjf 
■bout such results, wili any one say that they ■hall not reap any rward, and that 
all this good shall be produced by their exertions, and else he benefited by th#ir 
acts, and labor, and yet they be deprived of any benefit therefrom ? 

Their talk of land grabs when applied to uB si.ch enterprizes without dis¬ 
tinction !8 a hHinhug. Itu cheap cUptrap, which small beer politicaus can use, 
'»ho have not minds oJ Bufiloient calibre to comprehend cause auU etfect, hnl 
•hoiilJ iiCTer ba used against an oaterprize realv iiieritorioue. 

Theve is witliout doubt, many land grabs where nothing but private Interest 1* 
sought, or will bo pr(>moted. The term land grab is very properly applied to 
• nch projects, and they shou.d be defeated, hut the gt-o I should not be sacrificed 
to the bad, and an attempt to develop^^ the l.itent ws.ilLn of the counry wfisri nil 
may be b.n- filed, should not be defeated, because some projects are devised in 

•clftshnets. 

The building of ■ Rail Road to th''.se mines Is a work of national Importanre. 
The whole Uuitod Mtates ia divinly iuter"St«a in fostering and building up our 
iron interests, every branch of industry will der've a cenollt by it, ami is safe to 
to assert that if the company •uccoec in building a Rail Hoad to thdse mines, 
that other people will profit a thoiuand fold more by their succesi. tiun will th* 
proiectori of the Road, and owners of the the miuej. 

We have .n endeavoring 1o give some idea of the extent of our iron mines wsn- 
dcred offinlo a (tlsciission of subjects sappo*ed to belong to the region of polit** 
but we could not help it: for those questions which if decided rightly or wrong 
ly, would aff- ct our interests vitaly for good or evil, aud this wo hops will excu«») 
us to the reader for steppiug aside from the sunject that we started out upon, but 
ws hope that what, we havs written about the iron mines of McMomiuee County 
may have Imparted aom* iutorrnatiou that may be deemed nscfitl, and which 
may call forih » feeling of goodwill lowards our eflorts to bring this great 
wsalth out of the earth, and thus make it useful to mankind. 

That we have in this County the largest and most valiiAble iron district in ths 
United States no one who has Been our mines can doubt Slinll those mines he 
opened for the beuetlt of mnnkiiid in this generation f or shall tney lie undevel. 
oped until a more cnterpriziiig people sutceed us. who will develop their vaat 
wealth to mankind. That these mine* lie in a wilderness not now habitable, 
but when opened by c. Hall Hoad will admit of large settlemenu is equally well 
known, 

IhAii we hsYf a Rail Road that will open that country to aettlement whh:k 


IllOB MnNBS. 


M 

willg^iv# ns n popnlation in two years of 18,000 peopl* inutead of Au<l whlelt 
will constantly incn!!o e which will give ns usHcssAblw properly of ^1,000.000 In 
sieid of $ 100.OtK)—which will y'ivc the State and Govcinmeiit a rapid i-a!« of uovr 
worthless iands to actual selllerH who will convert the wiod and timber into 
usefai merchandize and ciear tlie lands for purposea of axriculture, oi shall thn 
c(;uDtry continue a wildernosH until our cfiildretia cLiideen, morn ciiterprizlng 
than tlieir fatliera sliall open up fo the wot Id their great ^iche^ t 

F*r oursclvs? rre helitjve inexeriion. VV'e Itelievc ail sh uld pull steadily in 
furor of I he xiost jiraciioa! nnethod of opening a route fioin navigable waters to 
the mines and that the Unii-id States and state (ioTcrunnait who wll. profit more 
lhaa all by our success should give aid to the eiiterpri/,?. 

To sum up the advantagrs of building the Deer Creek and Marble. Quarry Kail 
Road, we will state as souic of the result* of its fir.-d .-ticc'.ss, t'lat it open to 
♦Ve use of m uikiiui an iron mineral district, which we uo not thi’^.k we eragerais 
Ij saying that it is the richest in the ITiit -d b’tates. it will furnished trat s. 
porfation for the iron ore and maihic to the nearest and host point for shipping 
it to the Shoivs of Croon Bay and from thvnce by ihu groat Lakes, and liailruad*, 
to all parts of the cuuntr 3 ', eat-t west and soiilh. . 

Second : It w ill bidld up villages at the mines for mincing purposes, and 
smelting furnuces. along the route, whicb will cause oilier villagss to be built, 
In what i* now a wiideriiess which is worthies* to man. 

it will give iiiiploymeiU to thousands and lens of thou.sand.^ at and about the 
miaes, and the pioducis of their labor will furnish work for oibrr thousaad* all 
through the couniry. It will enable agricu t:iri.«ta toclonr off the dense forest*, 
and lo gel rich in doing .so. to furnish iuel for the smelting iurj.ace*i,'when with¬ 
out such sdvantagws, rctllcrs who would be hardy enough t,. attewipt to make t 
farm in these forests, would bfe compelled lo cut oiVand burn this wood on the 
land, at a great Io-*s. Theee dense woods would be .*aved by having a use for 
the wood, and thereby add to the w« dlh of the uHlion. 

The lands wlisn cleared won.d be (,a.*Lly prepared for callivation, and tho 
farmers who would then i mproTw them, would have a good market at home for 
the produce oi their larms. 

I hird. The lands which arv now pracUt.ally worth’*se. would immediate!r 
become valuable, and settlers wlio would not now take them as a gift, would 
Jump at thj chance t > buy t:,e reserved sections ul two dolijir" and fifty cents an 
acre, and would make tlodnslves rich in doing so, and in a lew years this north¬ 
ern wilderness country, would be covi rod wiih farms and farm hoases, and these 
h..)nse* inhabited by thriving .xnd happy larmf-rs. 

Fourth ; it w.mld gi\c mi additional imp j1u.% to industry t'lroughont the land, 
in working it up into the various impleminu iiecd-d by man, the merchant in 
(■nppiying Miesc workers with merchandize, nnd the termers iti feeding them all, 
whiiw the Covernu'.eni andt^itaie in giving one hall, finds it.^elf as rich as if it b»d 
sold the wiitde, and finds a readv market lor what ia now niutlcble land, and 
li'.cn roans in Ibc way of taxes and revmuc, from tt.-e Peoi.de who arc thus cn- 
f.bled VO find mnployment, a yearly income irreat-.;r than would be the value of tha 
lands if sold at the price, minnimum ana bitter than «!l ibis it brings into us* 
wealth whieli 1.=; now uauiailai.de, wtiich wlien made available, is of greaiet 
valuv to the State tnd County, than la twice or c«»ii tea times the present va u» 
of the lands dvinated. 

The Deer Creek aad Marble Q’.is.rry Rail Koad Company has among its stock¬ 
holders Mid incorporaters, owners of five of the larg.*'3t niin.'s. The rich in 
wealth, alius available mteris will not enable them to build a road to ope* 
luine.s without further aid. 'I'h'v took hold of this enterprize wi;h the seitled 
delwrm’u.'itioii. to build liie road, and they menu to build it or die in the last 
ditch and if ili«y find theiasei I ns In that supleasaut predicatnent^ they will 
their deieriuinatioii a? a it'cacy wilh the mine? lo their children. ifthe» can 
get the aid they ask for they will have llie i,ocom«lives runnljig to the Ifrcen 
Mine In six mouths, and to all the othera \nthin two years. If they viv ant gtt ll 
wIU fit;lit it out ou that line until they aucce-’d. 



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